The mayoral by-election in Kaohsiung is to be held on Aug. 15, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said yesterday, after officially announcing Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) removal from office following last weekend’s recall vote.
The commission certified the results of last weekend’s recall vote, confirming that 964,141 valid ballots were cast, with 939,090, or 97.4 percent, in favor of recalling the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) mayor.
As Han served less than half of his four-year term, which was set to end in late 2022, a by-election must be held within three months of the recall vote.
Photo: CNA
Following the vote’s confirmation, the Executive Yuan appointed former Kaohsiung City Government secretary-general Yang Ming-jou (楊明州) as Kaohsiung acting mayor.
Yang would hold the position until the new mayor is selected, while the winner of the by-election would serve until December 2022, the end of Han’s term.
In related news, Democratic Progressive Party Kaohsiung City Councilor Kang Yu-cheng (康裕成) yesterday said that the city government falsified information and used public funds for Han’s farewell concert on Thursday.
“The officials who approved the application for the event helped to falsify the information and, in doing so, broke the law,” Kang said.
The lawn on which it was heldbelongs to the city and has never been rented out to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Kang said.
“We later found that the city’s Information Bureau applied to use the lawn and then rented it out to an NGO, but the city’s by-laws do not permit this,” she said.
A prominent Han supporter, Lee Yi-hsiu (李易修), heads the Takao Zan Culture Association, the NGO that rented the lawn, she added.
“Lee set up the association on Monday and sent the registration papers to the city government on Wednesday — it has not yet been approved as an official organization,” Kang said.
“We question where the money came from and why it was given fast-track approval by Han’s aides,” she said, adding that the association was not yet eligible to take donations or rent a public space.
“This is a mayor who got ousted by nearly 940,000 Kaohsiung residents — a man who was kicked out of his job — yet he still used taxpayers’ money to pay for his farewell concert,” the Wecare Kaohsiung coalition of civic groups behind the recall campaign said in a statement.
“If Han did not use public funds for the event, then he should come forward and explain where the money came from,” it added.
Kaohsiung Information Bureau Director-General Cheng Chao-hsin (鄭照新) said that the event did not use one cent of public funds.
“Our bureau acted as an advising body to main organizer the Takao Zan Culture Association, which has promised to pay for any damage to the lawn... We are disappointed by critics who deliberately made things difficult, even for Mayor Han’s last hours at work,” he said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old